Benji and Léo's Big Trip to Nana's

Beachin’ it with the boys.

Is it really a blog if you don’t share travel stories and photos? (Er, is it really a blog if you post twice a year? Har har…)

We topped off the summer holidays with a little road trip to the States to see Mom a.k.a Nana Bella. Mat’s clinical internship kept him at home, but in an effort to take advantage of my last few weeks of maternity leave, I packed up the boys and we drove south about 650 miles to Mom’s new digs in Milton, Delaware, where we indulged in beach views, seafood eats and generally chill late-summer coastal vibes. (Léo got thrush and was pretty disagreeable for about half of the trip, but hey, we still had a good time.)

When I mentioned making this drive solo with two small kids to anyone (mostly fellow parents of small kids), I got some serious eyeball-popping. But somehow I just knew it would be worth it. It could possibly be because the alternative included sitting around our apartment listening to them whine anyway… why not make an adventure of it? Their daycare was closed for this period and so I purposely timed the trip with that, ‘cause like what else was there to do, you know. Mat’s school hours continued all summer, which meant that, while he’s around as much as he can be, there is a considerable amount of time where it’s just me and the boys. So, with no daycare, I knew that was going to be even more difficult. And my mom has recently moved East to be closer to us and it was time to check out her new spot!

the boys enjoyed nana bella’s selection of toys and games. most of them are mine and jeff’s from the 90s…so, basically vintage.

The drive from TR to Milton is 10+ hours, which is potentially doable in one go with two drivers and older kids. But I decided under the current circumstances to break it up into two days, with a stopover in Saratoga Springs (Upstate NY). The boys were actually really good in the car - only mild and (thankfully) brief periods of whining/screaming for various (and mostly valid) reasons. It was actually just Léo that would have those bouts; Benji, in all his wise 3 years and 3 months, was honestly a model travel partner. Save for the moments where we literally just got back onto the highway after a pee stop and he would feel the need to go poop. (He waited til the next stop patiently and without incident, however!)

One of our first days in town we braved an attempted full Beach Day… it went OK. (Lack of adequate napping, aside.)

I was a little apprehensive about the congestion through the Tri-state/Philly metro areas; crossing my fingers that Google Maps would not lead me astray and that all exits and merges would be crystal clear. This was actually true for the most part. The tolls were pretty annoying - the frequent slow-downs would easily wake a sleeping babe - and it was minorly stressful just simply enduring non-stop traffic for hours in a row. But we made it through without any scares or surprises or missed exits or confusing directions. (But I will say, if I COULD avoid the Mahwah/Garden State Parkway-to-NJ Turnpike junction and still make the trip in good time, I most definitely would.)

Once arrived safely at Nana Bella’s, the boys dove in immediately to her selection of toys and books. And the excitement of the newness of it all lasted pretty much the whole two weeks. They were both really well-behaved for the most part. Léo would often have trouble with having to get to places by car (I think he’d had his fill of car-tripping) and could get pretty fussy when he wasn’t in a place to be left to explore on his own (which was most places). But they both allowed us to enjoy a handful of restaurant experiences without too much trouble. And at times, it was downright enjoyable!

benji enjoys his first oyster-slurping experience.

Future trips will only get more fun as the boys get older, both in terms of travel and activities. There are zoos to see, rides to ride, ferry and boat trips, not to mention a bunch of cultural things to do and see (tons of museums with Philly and DC within a day-trip’s reach). I’m really excited to have the boys grow-up with Grandma in this area! I get to discover it all, too.

And of course, to be able to see Nana Bella more frequently! ;)

We’ll be back soon, Nana Bella, don’t you worry.